Conveyer vibrator



April 3, 1951 H. w. HAPMAN coNvEYER VIBRATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 2, 1948 rr/ m Cttorneg S April 3, 1951 H. w. HAPMAN CONVEYER VIBRATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1948 nventor f??? WffM/@ Gttornegs Patented Apr. 3, 1951 this Wit?? CONVEYER VIBRATR Henry W. Hapruan, Detroit, Mich., assigner, by mesne assignments, of sixty per cent to Henry W. Hapman and forty per cent to viilannal'i J.

Hapman, both of Detroit, Mich.

Application January 2, 1948, Serial No. 129

8 Claims.

This invention relates to conveyors and in particular to devices for removing adhering material -from conveyors after the conveyors have discharged the material. conveyed:

One object of this invention is to provide a inaterial1'emoving device for a conveyor having mechanism for vibrating the conveyor after it has discharged the conveyor material, in order to dislodge particles of material which adhere to the flights or other portions of the conveyor after discharge.

Another object is to provide a materialremov-I ing device for a conveyor wherein the conveyor vibrating device engages the iiights through the intermediate action of a resilient wall which serves to seal on the conveyor conduit from the atmosphere, thereby providing a pressure-tight conveyor system.

Another object is to provide such a materialremoving device for a conveyor including an eccentric rotor or flywheel which operates to os cillate the conveyor flight vibrating device so that asy the latter moves up and down it intermittently vibrates the flights as they move beneath it, dislodging any conveyed material which is still adhering to the nights.

Another object is to provide such a materialremoving device for a conveyor wherein the eccentric rotor is provided with an adjustable counter-rotating eccentric rotor, the position of which may be changed in order to adjust the amount of vibration which is imparted to the support carrying the conveyor vibrating device.

Another object is to provide a material-removing device for a conveyor wherein the eccentric rotor is mounted upon a resiliently-rnounted support having a conveyor contacting device attached thereto so that as the eccentric rotor is rotated and acts as a lopsided ywheel, it causes the support to move up and down in the manner of a springboard, thereby causing the contacting device to repeatedly and intermittently vibrate the conveyor iiights to remove adhering material.

In the drawings: y

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away in vertical section, of a discharge portion of a flight conveyor, showing a conveyor vibrating device according to a preferred form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the conveyor portion and vibrating device shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a vertical section along the zig-zag line 3 3 in Figure 1, showing the details or the vibrating device.

(Cl. ISS-e229) Figure c is an enlarged verticai section along the lines 5 4 in Figure l, showing details or the resilient mounting for the conveyor vibrating device;

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly broken. away in vertical section, of a discharge portion of a night conveyor showing a modincation wherein the conveyor conduit is sealed off from the vibrating device;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section along the zig-zag'line 5 5 in Figure 5, showing details of the sealing arrangement for the vibrating device;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary top pian View of a modied conveyor vibrating device employnga plurality of relatively adjustable eccentric rotors; and

Figure 8 is a vertical section along the line 8 8 in Figure '7.

.Heretofore in conveyor practice it has been a problem to prevent the adherence of conveyed material to the conveyor chain and iiights after they pass the discharge station. Many materials are adherent and ywhen the particles thereof reach the conveyor sprockets or bearings, they cause excessive wear and also interfere with the efficient operation of the conveyor.

The present invention solves this problem by applying a vibrating device to the conveyor which knocks the adhering material off the conveyor and prevents it from being carried onward to the sprockets or other mechanism which is likely to be adversely affected by such material. In one form of the invention, the knocker, which is operated as -a part of the vibrating device, directly engages the conveyor. In a modiflca` tion of the invention the knocker engages a` resilient wall of the conveyor conduit which in turn engages the conveyor, so that the conveyor conduit is sealed off from the atmosphere and is vibrated by the impact of the knoclrer acting through the resilient wall.

Direct-acting conveyor vibrator icushions LI by the bolts-3i! and nuts 35. -oscillating.plate 35 extends longitudinally along 'theiconduit t2 like a spring board, and on its under side carries an elongated knocker 3i (Fig-- and claimld in my co-pending application Serial No. 676,546, filed June i3, 1946 for Flight Con veyor. The conveyor I3 consists of an endless conveyor chain I having outer and inner links I5 and IS separated by resilient washers Ia of rubber-like material and pivotall interconnected by pivot pins Il. Secured to the pivot pins I'I Vare the v-bentends I8 of Vapproximateiy semi-circular clamping plates I9 between which are clamped disc-like nights of rubber or rubber-like material, as by the fastener 2i. As stated in my above-mentioned co-pending application, the links I5 and iitand pivot pins .Il have very loose nts so that the chain can .twist longitudinally while passing around bends in the conveyor conduit I2.

The conveyor conduit is cut away .to .provide elongated top and bottom apertures 22 and 23 respectively. Secured to the conduit I2 and surrounding the elongate'iaperture is a tapering box-like discharge spoutifl which is flanged at its :lower edge 25 for connection to a hopper, bin or other receptacle for'reeeiving the material being conveyed and dischar ed through the aperture #23. Seoured as-by welding to the upper surface or the-conduit I2 areattopped arcuate bottoine .brackets 126 A(Figure Li).

-sizeas the elongated aperture .22 in the top of the conduit I2.

'.Thebase plate 2l is .bored as at 29 to receive vbolts .39 (Figure ll) which pass upward througl cushions '111i of resilient rubber-like material and through holes 32 in a top plate 33. The bolts also pass .throughenlarged holes 35 in an oscillating plate 35 which is clan'iped .between the ure :1) secured thereto 4as by welding orby suitable fasteners. The knoclrer is preferably of a length suincient to engage two of the nights .2li on the conveyor -S as they pass -beneaththe knocker 3l whilethe latter is being oscillated by the oscillating Aplate 35. rEhe knocker 3l has suicient clearance within the apertures :22 and23 to permit it to move freely up and down.

In order to oscillate or yvibrate the knocker'l', azpair'of spaced bearing blocks 38 are bolted as at 39 'to 'the upper surface of the plate 35.

Journaledinfthe boresi? of 'the bearingblocks 381is Ya shaftfill, the latter being prevented from moving endwiseby collars-42 pinned or otherwise-#secured the1eto' Figure 2) outside the bearing'blocksi. Secured to one end of the lshaft 4I is a pulley which is driven by a beltvll from a pulley L15 upon the armature shaft llt of an electric motor dl, 4the base of which is bolted as at lieto the base plate 2l. Mounted on the shaft tlbetwcen thebearing blocks 38 is an eccentric rotor-.consisting of a iiyweight or flywheelAQ which has a borevlil drilled away. from its 4geonfiei'lrical center, the shaft LI passing through.V and being secured within the bore 59.

Pinned or otherwise secured to the end of the shaft 4| opposite thepulleyis a disc 5I having circurnierentially-spaced,peripheral holes 52 .('Figures 1 and ,2). Bolted to the disctl as by fasteners 53 threaded into the holes :52 is a sector-shaped counterweight 543. yIn ,order to facilitate rotationofthe shaft-fil, antiefriction The bearings 55 (Figure 3) are mounted within the bearing blocks 38.

The rnodied conveyor vibrator ll shown in Figures 5 and 6 is generally similar to the vibrator Il and similar parts are similarly designated. n Figures 5 and 6, however, the base ,plate 2l is spaced slightly above the upper wall ofthe conduit lf2 so as to provide room for an appro :imately semi-cylindrical wall member 6| of resilient material such as rubber or synthetic rubber. The wall has a thickened portion 62 extending downward into the aperture 22 so that its .inner .wall lies adjacent the conveyor flights 2B.

The wall-6I atits opposite end is clamped tightly against the upper surface of the conveycr'conduit.-I2 by hoop-like clamping rings 63 which are split as at 64 (Figure 6) and have radially projecting lugs 65 through which clamp-- ing bolts pass. Bytightening the clamping bolts .55, the opposite ends of the wall El may be firmly secured 'to the conduit I2, so that a pressure-tight seal is effected. In Figures 5.and 6 the knocker 3'. does not directly touch the flights $1@ but instead contacts the resilient wall El and forces it into contact with the flights 20. 'Ihe conveyor in the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6 is the same as that yshown in Figures l to 4 inclusive-and its parts are similarly designated.

The modied conveyor vibrator generally designated fi, shown in Figures 7 and'Sjis'genorally similar to that shown in the 'central portion of Figures i, 2 and Sand similar parts are similarly designated. In the modification of lFignures 'I and 8,however, the disk 5I and counterweight 54 havebeen omitted. The eccentrically mounted rotor 9 has been replaced by 'three ecoentrically mounted rotors 'II, "I2 and T3, each of which is provided with an Veceentricbore 'I/I to receive the shaft QI. vThe rotors 'Il "I2 and I3 are adjustably secured to the shaft 4I 'by means of set screws l5. In this manner the rotors may be adjusted relatively to one another until the resultant vibration imparted to the oscillating plate 35 is exactly the amount desired vaccording to the particular conditions of use.

In the operation of the invention, either'o'f the principal form shown in Figures 1 .to'4 irlelusive or of the modifications shown in'Figures 5 and 6, or in Figures 7 and 8, the rotation of the motor shaft 'G55 and the consequent rotation of the eccentric shaft 4I and eccentric rotors 49 or TI, l'I2 and 73, limparts an up-and-down oscillation to the'resiliently-supported plate 35. This is analogous to 'the Uoscillation imparted to a springboard-'by aswimmerjumpingup and down on the end thereof. The amount ofthe oscillation may be regulated by'altering the position of the counterweight '53 relatively to the flywheel 49 so that the eccentrcity of' the one will counteract that'of the'other, or will amplify it, as desired. As the plate 35 'oscillates up an'd down, it carries the knocker 31 with it. The latter thus imparts a rapid tapping or hammering to the flights 20 as the conveyor I3tmoves them-successively beneath Vthe knocker'S'I. The

conveyed material Iis dumped by gravity through the aperture 23 (Figure l) into the -spout 24, and any particles adhering to the nights 2! or other portions of the conveyor I3 lare knocked ofi by the rapid :vibration impar-ted to it by rapidly oscillating the knocker 3l. Thus, theights 2i) and the remainder of thefconveyor-IS arecompletely free from particles of they' conveyed `ma- -terial as they move onward to the conveyor `sprocket (not shown) andthe latter with its accompanying mechanism is thereby relieved oi much wear and interference which would otherwise occur.

, The operation of the modification shown in vFigures 5 and d is generally similar to that of the -principal form ofthe invention shown in Figures vl. to 4 inclusive. The knoclrer 3l in Figure 5, however, in its ,oscillation similarly oscillates the portion` 6,2,` of the wall 6E and forces it into intermittent and rapidly repeated `contact with the conveyor flights 2li. This action similarly dislodges the material particles from the conveyor I3 and at the same time, a pressure-tight seal is maintained between the conduit i2 and the atmosphere. The modification of Figures 5 and 6, therefore, may be used in pressurized or vacuum systems such as conveying coal or sludge from the bottom portions of vertic al standpipes or bins,`or conveying fly ash from the iiresides or iire'pits of boilers which are steaming under pressure.

. The operation of the modification shown in Figures '7,v and 8 is similar to that of the principal form shown' in Figures 1 to ,4 inclusive, except that the amplitude of oscillation oi the plate 35 is adjusted by loosening the set screws and rotating the rotors "il, i2 and i3 relatively to one another around-the shaft-h --Thaset screws 'iii are then tightened and the Vibrator 'lil is started in operation. Ii' the vibration is insuiicient, the eccentric rotors 'i l, 'i2 and 'i3 are adjusted so that they lie more nearly on the same side of the axis of the shaft lli, whereupon their eccentric effects reinforce one another. On the other hand, if the vibration obtained is too vigorous for the existing conditions, one or more of the eccentric rotors 'l i, I2 or i3 is adjusted so that its eccentric portion lies on theopposite side of the aXis of the shaft fil, thereby tending to counteract the eccentric eiect of the other rotor or rotors. In this manner the vibration may be adjusted within a range between substantially no vibration Whatever and a maximum vibration which is the combined eifect of all three rotors l i, 'i2 and i3 when they are placed side by side with their'peripheries in alignment. Under such conditions of maximum vibration the lines of centers extending through the center of each rotor and the center of the shaft il will lie in a common plane.

It will be obvious from Figures l and 5 that the invention is also applicable to the removal oi adhering particles of the conveyed material from a conveyor with metallic flights, such as steel or cast iron, rather than rubber or synthetic rubber flights. Under these circumstances,the apparatus shown in Figure 5 remains unchanged. 1n order to deaden the noise, the knocher 3T in Figure 1 is preferably made either lfrom elastic deformable material such as rubber or synthetic rubber, or provided with a coating or cushion thereof. The operation, however, remains unchanged,

What I claim is: l. A vibrator for dislodging conveyed material from. a flight conveyor traveling in a conveyor conduit, comprising an oscillatable knocker structure movably mounted adjacent said conduit for motion toward and away from said conveyor, said conveyor conduit having an aperture through a side Wall thereof, a resilient wall mounted on said conveyor conduit in closing relationship with said aperture, said knocker structure including a knocirer intermittently engageable with said resilient wall, and power-driven oscillating mecha- G il nism operatively connected to said knocker structure for oscillating said knocker into and out of engagement with said resilient wall.

2. A vibrator for dislodging conveyed material freni a lflight conveyor traveling in a conveyor conduit, comprising a base, a movable support movably mounted on said base, a knocker mounted on said support and movable through an aperture in said conveyor conduit, and power-driven support-oscillating mechanism mounted on said support and including a rotary shaft with a flyweight mounted with its center of gravity disposed eccentrically thereof .i and with its periphery rotating unimpededly in free space, said mechanism being responsive tothe pulsating momentum resulting from the rotation of said eccentric ilyweight for oscillating said support and moving said knocker into and out of engagement with said conveyor.

v3. A vibrator for ldislodging conveyed material from a ilight conveyor traveling in a conveyor conduit, comprising a base, a movable support movably mounted on said base, a knocker mounted on said support and movable through an aperture in said conveyor conduit, and powerdriven support-oscillating mechanism mounted on said support and including a rotary shaft with a flyweight mounted with its center of gravity disposed eccentrically thereof and with its periphery rotating unimpededly in free space,` said mechanism being responsive to the pulsating momentum resulting from the rotation of said eccentric iiyvveight for oscillating said support and moving said knocker into and out of engagement with said conveyor, and also including an adjustable counterweight mounted eccentrically on said shaft and rotatable in unison with said flyweight.

4. A vibrator for dislodging conveyed material from a flight conveyor traveling in a conveyor conduit having an aperture in a sidewall thereof, said vibrator comprising a resilient wall mounted en said conveyor conduit in closing relationship with said aperture, a base, a movable Support movably mounted on said base, a knocker mounted on said support and movable into and out of engagement with said resilient wall, and power-driven support-oscillating mechanism operatively connected to said support for oscillating said support and moving said knocker to oscillate said resilient wall into and out of engagement with said conveyor.

5. A vibrator for dislodging conveyed material irom a flight conveyor traveling in a conveyor conduit having an aperture in a side wall thereof, said vibrator comprising a resilient wall mounted on said conveyor conduit in closing relationship with said aperture, a base, a movable support movably mounted on said base, a knocker mounted on said support and movable into and out of engagement with said resilient wall, and power-driven support-oscillating mechanism operatively connected to said support and including a rotary shaft with a rotor mounted eccentrically thereon for oscillating said support and moving said lznocker to oscillate said resilient wall into and out of engagement with said conveyor.

6. A vibrator for dislodging conveyed material from a flight conveyor traveling in a conveyor conduit having an aperture in a side wall thereof, said vibrator comprising a resilient wall mounted on said conveyor conduit in closing relationship with said aperture, a base, a movable support movably mounted on said base, a knocker animee mounted on said support and movable into and out of engagement with said resilient Wall, and power-driven support-oscillating mechanism operatively connected to said support and including a rotary sha-ft with a rotor mounted ec' centricaliy thereon Afor oscillating said Support and. moving` said knocker to oscillate said iesi'li ient wall into and out of engagement with said conveyor, and also including an adjustable cou'nl terwe'ight mounted eccentrically on said shaft and rotatable in unison with said rotor.

7. A vibrator for dislodging conveyed material from a flight conveyor traveling in a conveyor conduit having an aperture in a side wall thereof, said vibrator comprising a resilient wall mounted on said conveyor conduit in closing relationship with said aperture, a base, a resilient mounting Secured to said base, a movable support movably mounted on said resilient mounting, a knocker mounted on said support and movable into and out of engagement with said resilient wall, and

power=drivn support-oscillating mechanism op`` REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STA'I'fE's PATENTS Number Name Date 1,495,450 Smith May 27, 1924 1,580,178 Talbot e Apr. 13, 1926 1,742,843 Benedict 1 Jan. 7, 1930 1,938,402 Renner f r Dec. 5, 1933 2,418,757 Collins Ap'l. 8, 1.947

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date l l 670,379 Germany v Jan. 18, 1939 

